Shovels In The Dirt: LAFD Station 4 Replacement Project Promises State-Of-The-Art Facility

Los Alamos County officials throw some dirt Wednesday afternoon at the site of the LAFD Station 4 Replacement Project on Diamond Drive. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

Pictured at the groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the LAFD Station 3 Replacement Project are, from left, LAFD Chief Erik Litzenberg, Los Alamos County Council Chair Randall Ryti, Councilor Ryn Herrmann, Project Manager Sobia Sayeda, Councilor David Reagor and Councilor Melanee Hand. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporte.com

There was definitely excitement in the air during Wednesday afternoon as a crowd gathered behind the existing Los Alamos Fire Department Station 4 on Diamond Drive in Los Alamos for the groundbreaking ceremony for the facility that will replace the original building which is 62 years old.

Los Alamos County Council Chair Randall Ryti noted that it was great to see the project kicking off.

“We’re looking at creating a state-of-the-art fire station here and it is going to be the location for our world-class first responders and our response to this part of the community. The existing Station 4 has been here for 62 years, so it’s a much needed upgrade,” he said, adding that he had seen cracks in the floor in the existing building that had been sealed but that there was still an issue with parking large trucks in there.

Ryti highlighted some of the process used to select the site, saying that although three sites were considered, the preferred option was to put the new facility on the current Station 4 site.

“I think that was a great outcome that had great support,” he said.

The other thing to pay attention to, Ryti said, that LAFD has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 1 and that keeping the station in the same location helps maintain the response times and keep that rating.

“The new facility really reflects the strategic vision of the County. The existing building is old and inefficient and costly to maintain. The new facility will be fully-electric and LEED Gold Certified and will be the first facility of its kind in the County. It helps us in achieving our Climate Action Plan of Carbon Neutrality by 2050. Expanding the living spaces will improve the health and well-being of our firefighters. It will provide the space for everything we need to be doing today, including our emergency medical response needs,” he said.

Ryti said the project also supports “the high quality of life we enjoy” in Los Alamos.

“Every second matters in responding. Modern alerting system and facility design with quick response allows the team to work more efficiently, which leads to better outcomes. This is especially important during wildfire season, which is beginning to be all year long,” he said.

Ryti said the replacement project did not come about overnight, that it took thoughtful planning and shepherding by retired LAFD Chiefs Troy Hughes and Wendy Servey and current Chief Erik Litzenberg, along with the diligent work of the project team, including Deputy Chief Tim Johnson, Xavier Anderson, LAFD Administrative Services Manager and LAFD personnel. He recognized Project Manager Sobia Sayeda , Chief Engineer for Public Works Miguel Jimenez, David Grooms, Laura Yanoviak Alex Petrie and Adam Ambro with VEGA Architects and Christopher Bailey with Spartan Construction Albuquerque LLC.

LAFD Chief Erick Litzenberg pointed out that ultimately LAFD needs great, healthy people doing its work.

“When you look at this fire station that’s being built it has really great attributes that work towards that end. It has independent living spaces for up to 10 people. It not only has better capacity than the current station. but it’s better for privacy, it’s better for cohabitation as well as health and wellness,” he said. “It’s a place where they can relax and rest thoroughly in between the hard assignments they have. It has better health and wellness facilities. It is designed in a way that it has hot, cold and warm zones to keep the contaminants that all of our folks are exposed to where they need to be, not where they’re living.”

Lotzenberg noted that the new facility is a very thoughtful building for community response but also in recognition of the burdens put on LAFD responders it’s where “we can keep them happier and healthier”.

“We appreciate everyone who has put time into making this happen. This is the start; follow us along the way. It’s going to be an exciting year and a half and we can’t wait to have you all back here when we’re cutting a ribbon and opening this thing,” Chief Litzenberg said.

Los Alamos County Council Chair Randall Ryti makes his welcoming remarks to those gathered at LAFD Station 4 for the groundbreaking ceremony. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

LAFD Chief Erik Litzenberg excitedly explains some of the reasons LAFD is looking forward to the completion of the new Station 4. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

A contingent of Los Alamos Fire Department personnel gather behind the existing Station 4, a location that has been home to some of them for many years. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com